Europe Warns of Driver Gaps Threatening Tourism Links

Europe is sounding the alarm over deepening transport workforce gaps, warning that persistent driver shortages in buses, coaches and freight risk undermining tourism growth, connectivity and long-term sustainability goals across the continent.

Warning Signs From New EU Analyses

Recent European briefing papers and policy documents describe transport labour shortages as among the most acute in the single market, with heavy truck and bus drivers singled out alongside tourism and hospitality roles. A Council of the European Union overview on labour and skills shortages notes that transport is one of the sectors most affected, in part because of its ageing workforce and demanding working conditions.

Parliamentary research on road transport workers highlights that many professional drivers report long, irregular hours and difficulties reconciling work with family and social life. A large share of workers in transport and storage say that their schedules are incompatible with personal commitments, a pattern that analysts link to staff retention problems and rising vacancy rates.

Separate material prepared for the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism points to a tight link between these labour gaps and the performance of the tourism economy. The committee’s work on a future European strategy for sustainable tourism underlines that accessible, reliable and affordable transport is a precondition for balanced tourism development, particularly in remote or underserved regions that depend on coaches, regional buses and ferries.

According to publicly available information, the shortage of professional drivers is now viewed as a systemic challenge that cuts across passenger and freight transport. Experts warn that, without concerted measures, these gaps could slow the recovery of travel and tourism, weaken territorial cohesion and complicate broader climate and digital transition plans.

Bus and Coach Shortages Weigh on Tourism Access

Published exchanges between members of the European Parliament and the European Commission underline growing concern over the availability of bus and coach drivers. One recent parliamentary question cites International Road Transport Union estimates that more than 100,000 bus driver posts were unfilled in Europe in 2023, with projections that the figure could roughly double by 2028 if current trends continue.

These gaps are particularly sensitive for tourism. Many visitors rely on local buses, airport shuttles and long-distance coaches to reach coastal resorts, cultural sites and Alpine destinations. Operators in several member states have reported difficulties maintaining frequencies on seasonal and rural routes during peak holiday periods, raising the risk that some communities could see services reduced just as visitor numbers rise.

Committee documents on a forthcoming European tourism strategy stress that improved connectivity is central to easing pressure on overcrowded hotspots by making it easier for travellers to choose lesser-known destinations. However, labour shortages in public transport make it harder to extend services to emerging tourism regions or to offer the multimodal links expected by international visitors seeking low-carbon options.

Industry analysis suggests that staff gaps are also starting to interact with other structural pressures, including higher fuel and operating costs and investment needs for cleaner fleets. Where companies struggle to recruit or retain drivers, they may postpone route expansions, cancel additional departures or limit new services aimed at tourists, even when demand appears strong.

Ageing Workforce and Skills Gaps Across Transport

The European Parliament’s research service has drawn attention to the demographic profile of the road transport workforce. In recent studies, the average age of professional truck drivers in Europe is reported to be in the late forties, with around one third expected to reach retirement age over the coming decade and fewer than one in twenty drivers under 25 years old.

Similar patterns are visible in parts of the bus and coach sector, where relatively low starting pay, weekend work and extended periods away from home can deter younger recruits. Analysts note that women remain heavily underrepresented in land transport roles, making up a small fraction of drivers and limiting the potential talent pool at a time when vacancies are high.

At the same time, rapid digitalisation is reshaping job requirements. Official strategies for sustainable and smart mobility describe a near-term shift toward paperless freight, electronic certificates, real-time tracking and emerging automation technologies. That transition is expected to create additional demand for digital skills, from managing advanced tachographs to interacting with increasingly automated dispatch systems.

Observers warn that if training systems do not keep pace, transport companies could face a dual challenge: too few workers overall and a mismatch between available skills and new operational needs. This combination would further complicate efforts to stabilise timetables, expand cross-border coach networks and integrate last-mile services that support tourism corridors.

Connectivity, Cohesion and the Tourism Economy

Europe remains the world’s most visited region, with Eurostat data showing that many member states recorded record or near-record tourist nights in 2024 and 2025. For coastal countries and Alpine regions in particular, tourism has become a core pillar of economic activity, supporting local employment and public revenues.

However, recent debates in the European Parliament and national capitals emphasise that tourism growth depends heavily on reliable transport links. Reports on overtourism in major cities and islands argue that better dispersal of visitors hinges on strong secondary rail lines, regional coach services and integrated ticketing that make less crowded destinations attractive and easy to reach.

Labour shortages in transport risk pulling in the opposite direction. If coach companies and local bus operators cannot find enough qualified staff, authorities may struggle to offer the level of service needed to connect airports and rail hubs to peripheral regions. Analysts caution that this could reinforce existing imbalances, with the most accessible destinations facing continued pressure while rural or remote communities miss out on tourism-driven investment.

There are also implications for social and territorial cohesion. Publicly available information from EU institutions notes that transport shortfalls can limit access to essential services for residents while simultaneously constraining tourism potential. In regions where seasonal tourism sustains year-round jobs, disrupted timetables or curtailed routes could ripple across accommodation, gastronomy and cultural sectors.

Policy Responses and Recruitment Efforts

European policymakers are attempting to respond with a mix of regulatory adjustments, training initiatives and targeted migration tools. The EU mobility package, which revised rules on driving times, rest periods and posting conditions, is presented as one step toward improving working conditions for cross-border drivers. Recent adjustments specific to occasional passenger transport seek to acknowledge the particular scheduling patterns of coach tourism.

To enlarge the potential workforce, the European Union has also created a talent pool mechanism designed to help match employers with jobseekers from non-EU countries in sectors facing shortages, including heavy vehicle drivers. According to official descriptions, this initiative is intended to complement national recruitment policies and make it easier for companies to fill persistent vacancies.

On the skills side, draft recommendations tied to the upcoming European strategy on sustainable tourism call for a stronger focus on training in digital and green competencies across both tourism and transport. Proposals include new learning pathways, recognition of skills acquired on the job and closer use of programmes such as Erasmus+ and the European Social Fund Plus to support mobility and upskilling.

Member states and industry bodies are also exploring national campaigns to raise the profile of driving careers, expand apprenticeship models and encourage greater participation by women and younger workers. Observers note that the effectiveness of these efforts may depend on whether employers can combine training opportunities with improvements in pay, work-life balance and safety conditions, particularly in long-distance and night-time operations.

As Europe moves into another peak travel season, analysts say the stakes are high. Without progress on transport workforce challenges, ambitions to spread tourism more evenly, cut emissions and keep remote regions connected may prove difficult to achieve, even as visitor demand remains strong.